100 Thieves officially rebranded to ‘101 Thieves’ for a one-day period to mark the release of MGM’s heist film Crime 101, incorporating Australian actor Chris Hemsworth into the organisation as its “101st Thief”.
The activation saw the organisation alter its signage at The Compound (the organisation’s headquarters), overhaul its social media channels, and produce limited-edition apparel for fans. The promotional push centred around a live stream featuring Hemsworth alongside 100 Thieves Founder Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag and Co-Owner Jack “NiceWigg” Wiggin.
The initiative serves as the latest intersection between Hollywood and esports, leveraging the latter’s digitally-native audience to generate buzz for a theatrical release. By temporarily expanding its roster headcount and integrating film talent into its content ecosystem, 100 Thieves sought to bridge fandom between cinematic and competitive gaming audiences both online and at its Los Angeles headquarters.
In a statement after the activation, the organisation positioned the rebrand as a celebratory gesture: “For one day, 100 Thieves became 101 Thieves. To celebrate the release of MGM’s latest heist film, Crime 101, we rebranded the company after officially welcoming Chris Hemsworth as our 101st Thief.”
The organisation confirmed that the first 101 fans to queue at The Compound received limited-edition ‘101 Thieves’ merchandise, with Hemsworth later joining the live broadcast for an unscripted session of Arc Raiders. The statement added that conversation during the stream included “fun banter about the film, in theatres February 13.”
This collaboration demonstrates an interesting intersection between competitive gaming and mainstream entertainment, moving beyond traditional advertising placements to embed film promotion directly into an esports organisation’s identity and content operations.
Rather than simply serving Hemsworth in a pre-recorded spot or displaying banner advertisements, the activation temporarily rewrote 100 Thieves’ core branding, altered its physical headquarters, and integrated the talent into unscripted gameplay—treating the film’s release as an internal organisational event rather than an external sponsorship obligation.
The approach signals a shift toward experiential, narrative-driven partnerships in which partners effectively borrow the cultural authenticity of esports properties rather than imposing commercial messaging atop them, suggesting that future entertainment marketing may increasingly seek to inhabit gaming spaces rather than simply occupy them.
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